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Mid and East Antrim’s young people ‘leading the way’ with help from US Consulate

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Mid and East Antrim’s young people ‘leading the way’ with help from US Consulate

Friday 29 September 2017

A number of young people from across the Mid and East Antrim have taken part in an innovative youth development project funded by the U.S. Department of State.

The US:NI Leadership Initiative is a collaborative one-year project involving the U.S. Consulate, the Northern Ireland Assembly and Politics Plus.

Through a series of evening workshops, the initiative aims to promote civic responsibility, build leadership skills, and encourage democratic engagement among young people from across Northern Ireland.

Speakers at the event held in The Braid in Ballymena included Elected Members from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Quintin Oliver the internationally renowned political strategist, globally renowned personal development guru Billy Dixon and a number of young leaders from across Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Council, Cllr Paul Reid said: “This is a fantastic way to nurture political interest in our Borough’s young people. It also encourages leadership in our next generation and who knows, hopefully it will inspire some of them to sit on the benches right here in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in the future.

“As an organization we strive to be the best through effective leadership and a teamwork ethos at all levels and it’s important to showcase this to our young people.”

U.S. Consul General in Northern Ireland, Daniel Lawton said: “We are delighted to help facilitate these important workshops and hope that they inspire and empower young people from every corner of Northern Ireland to work effectively for a better, shared future”.